Ep. 147: From New Grad to 11 Contracts In - Claudia Jones on Building a Life Through Travel Therapy

What if the career path you were told to avoid turned out to be the best decision you ever made? 

In this episode of SLP Full Disclosure, host Michelle sits down with Claudia Jones, a travel occupational therapist with AMN Healthcare and 11 contracts under her belt. Claudia shares how she went from a new grad who was warned away from travel therapy to a passionate advocate helping the next generation of clinicians take that first leap. From building unexpected friendships to growing as a clinician in a small Oregon hospital—the only OT on staff across three settings—her story is equal parts inspiring and practical. 

Follow SLP Full Disclosure on Instagram at @AMN_Allied for show updates and SLP opportunities. 

Key Takeaways

• Overcoming the stigma around new grad travel contracts and what has changed 
• AMN's new grad mentorship program and clinical support team 
• The recruiter relationship and why it can make or break your experience 
• Claudia's Oregon contract: handling three settings solo and thriving 
• Strategies for staying connected with family and friends while on assignment 
• Meeting lifelong friends on the road, including one via Instagram 
• Working with Jill Pantle on AMN's University and Alumni Outreach Program 

Chapters

• 00:00—Introduction and meet Claudia Jones 
• 01:30—Why new grads hesitate and how mentorship has changed the conversation 
• 03:40—The recruiter relationship: finding your person at AMN 
• 06:00—Claudia's journey: from Pennsylvania to 11 contracts nationwide 
• 10:45—The Oregon contract: three settings, one OT, one unforgettable experience 
• 13:20—Staying connected: family visits, trips home, and a best friend from Instagram 
• 20:20—Working with Jill Pantle and the AMN University and Alumni Program 
• 25:35—Dispelling the myths around travel therapy for new grads 
• 31:30—Final advice: "What's the worst that can happen? Anybody can do anything for three months." 

Meet Claudia Jones 

Meet Claudia Jones, a travel occupational therapist with AMN Healthcare who has completed 11 contracts across South Carolina, Oregon, Indiana, and Florida. Claudia started her travel career straight out of school—despite being told not to—and has since become a mentor and advocate for new grads considering the same path. Passionate about building connection, embracing flexibility, and growing clinically through every assignment, Claudia works with AMN's University and Alumni Program to bring honest, firsthand guidance to students before they ever sign their first contract. 

Ready to take that first step toward your travel therapy career? Subscribe to SLP Full Disclosure and share this episode with a new grad who needs to hear it. 

Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:06:02 bit like before I got started 4 to 5 years ago, people were like, don't take travel contracts.

00:00:06:02 - 00:00:27:02 There's no mentorship. But now when you look at these companies, you know, they have new grad mentorship programs. And I feel like that's a really big thing that helps new grads feel, you know, some success with getting started.

00:00:27:03 - 00:00:51:20 Hey y'all, it's Michelle with SLP. Full disclosure and welcome to our podcast. Today I'm so excited to introduce you guys to our very own Claudia Jones. Claudia, welcome to the podcast. Hi. Thanks for having me on. Yes. And Claudia is a travel OT with AMN. And I know you're probably wondering why do we have an OT on an SLP Full Disclosure podcast, but let me tell you what we're going to be talking about.

00:00:51:21 - 00:01:13:22 We're going to be talking about how Claudia has made connections and friendships over her career while she's traveled with AMN. And we're going to also talk about her work with Jill. Panel, one of my favorite people in the world with the university program in the AMN alumni program. And I always say, Claudia, that my OT friends are my favorite friends because you guys are the smartest people in the room.

00:01:13:22 - 00:01:30:23 Typically, you and the Pts are usually the smartest people in the room. So we're so excited to have you. So thank you for joining us. Thank you. Yeah. So let me tell you guys a little bit about Claudia. Claudia is a travel OT of four years. She started as a new grad and is currently 11 travel contracts in.

00:01:30:23 - 00:01:55:18 She was born in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, but currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida, working in inpatient rehab. She loves all things traveling, especially traveling internationally, beach walks and iced coffee. She's passionate about helping new grads start their journey in travel therapy and wants them to feel inspired to follow their goals. So I would think that with OTS, it's the same with SLPs.

00:01:55:19 - 00:02:23:04 The new grads are probably a little hesitant to get into a travel contract, right? Yep, I would agree. Yeah. Why do you think that is? Think a big part of it is in school, kind of. We're taught sometimes like you should get into a permanent job. You know, that's where you're kind of promised that mentorship. And I think that was kind of a thing a little bit like before I got started 4-5 years ago, people were like, don't take travel contracts.

00:02:23:04 - 00:02:41:17 There's no mentorship. But now, when you look at these companies, you know, they have new grad mentorship programs. And I feel like that's a really big thing that helps new grads. grads. you know, some success with getting started. I kind of always tell people, you know, whether you do a permanent job or a travel job, it's essentially like a field work.

00:02:41:17 - 00:02:58:21 It's like a clinical rotation. You know, you're going to have to learn the building. You're going to have to learn, you know, the staff and how, you know, their processes run and stuff like that. So I think it's cool and has, you know, the new grad mentorship program where you get connected with a mentor, that person can help answer questions.

00:02:58:22 - 00:03:21:22 You know, they've been through the travel process. And one thing for me to is like, in a permanent job, you know, you're kind of out there applying by yourself, doing all the paperwork by yourself. But with the travel contract, you know, like you have that recruiter behind you. And I work with Kyla from AMN, and she has just been great and has answered all my questions even four years in.

00:03:22:01 - 00:03:41:12 And she really has been, you know, an additional mentor to me as well. And she's not, you know, even an OT. So I think, you know, there's so much support from the company as well, along with, you know, the facility too. Yeah. So yeah, you said something and I was going to talk about this a little bit later, but you're talking about the mentorship piece.

00:03:41:12 - 00:04:03:12 But I want to talk about something that you said in our intro call. You said mentorship in any job is not guaranteed, but with AMN, it is. And you're right, it's because we do have that established mentor program, and we have that clinical team that's there to support you in any job contract, whether it's travel, telehealth, whatever it may be, they're there to support you.

00:04:03:12 - 00:04:23:22 And that's the piece that I think that is so important. And that sets AMN apart from some of the other travel companies. So I would have to agree with you there. Tell us about your journey. How did you become a note? Did you always know you wanted to be an OT. Kind of. So my mom's an OT, and funny enough, I worked like at the place that she worked at.

00:04:23:23 - 00:04:40:18 She worked at like a brain injury rehab facility as an OT. And then I was just kind of like one of their care professionals. So almost like a CNA, like I would help them out. And I remember loving that job and being like, okay, I could see myself, you know, maybe doing this. But I was also kind of set on nursing.

00:04:40:18 - 00:04:59:23 So I first went that route and was like, oh, maybe I want to apply to like nursing school. Then realized, like I was not good with needles and stuff. So I was like, maybe I'll switch to OT or PT and then honestly, I picked OT just because it was less schooling. And you know, I mean OT, SLP, you can work in any setting.

00:04:59:23 - 00:05:16:18 And I think that was like one of the biggest things for me was I like change and I like doing different things. So I was like, you know, what with OT, I can work with kids, I can work with geriatrics, I can work in a school hospital, you know, and I could change it up. Right. And that was before I even knew travel was an option.

00:05:16:19 - 00:05:36:02 Yeah. So I got into school. I went to Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. So it was a five years master's program, which was really nice because you were in the program since freshman year, so you didn't have to reapply or anything. And I do credit my mom for doing that decision, because I did want to do an undergrad and then a grad program.

00:05:36:02 - 00:06:00:03 But it was nice to just be, you know, five years in and and then be done. Yeah. And then I had studied abroad my junior year of college, and I came back and I was like, you know what? Like, I don't really want to be in one place. I want to figure out how I can, you know, make travel and work a thing together and kind of did some research and found travel therapy.

00:06:00:03 - 00:06:16:17 We also had like, I think we had like one presentation on travel therapy. And I remember I don't know who she was, but I remember them saying like, oh, you can't do it as a new grad. And I'm kind of somebody that's like, if you tell me not to do something, I'm going to try. They're going to prove you wrong and do it.

00:06:16:20 - 00:06:31:19 So I was like, you know what? I'm just going to try it. Like I haven't heard of really many people doing it. And I was like, you know what if if it stinks, if I don't like it, I'll just go back home and get a permanent job. And I am like four and a half years in and I have not gotten a permanent job.

00:06:32:00 - 00:06:57:07 So. So it didn't stink. It did not. It worked out. Yeah, exactly. So there are so many different companies out there. How did you initially hear about AMN and what was it about AMN that made you decide this is the company I'm going to go with? Yeah. So I think that is like one of the biggest things that is so overwhelming as a question I get a lot is, you know, how do you pick the company, how do you do this, blah, blah, blah.

00:06:57:08 - 00:07:14:12 And I, I can't remember if I had gotten Kayla's recommendation from another travel therapist or how I got matched with her, but I remember like, being on the phone call with her and I was like, oh my gosh, this is like talking with my best friend. Like, she was so chill. And you know, she's like, what questions do you have?

00:07:14:12 - 00:07:37:06 And it just felt like it was a already like a comfortable relationship. And I feel like the support with AMN, too, you know, there's so many different benefits when on assignment. But the the real thing for me is like what's your recruiter experience like? Because, you know, sometimes people don't have the best experiences with companies. And that might be because of the recruiter.

00:07:37:08 - 00:07:54:13 And I think that was really one thing that I kind of preach to students, and people that want to get into travel therapy is like, you want to make sure you have somebody or a company in general that is going to be behind you. You know, if if an issue arises, you know, is your recruiter going to help you through it?

00:07:54:15 - 00:08:16:23 You know, AMN has the whole clinical team. You know, there's like a bunch of people behind you if something goes wrong or if you need to change something. And so it just kind of felt like one big family and people were there to support you. So that's what I kind of kind of like about it. So I 100% agree with you, Claudia, because I think my experience I was a little I was way seasoned in my career.

00:08:16:23 - 00:08:35:08 I was 18, 19 years in before I made the transition to travel. And my first contract was in Baltimore, Maryland. But I had talked with and that was back before we transitioned to AMN. It was when I first started, but my recruiter was the reason I chose AMN because she was so patient with me. She answered all of my questions.

00:08:35:08 - 00:09:06:02 And you're right, talking to her just felt like having a conversation with a friend. And then I got to work with Jill, and now I'm getting to work with page and the recruiter. You're right. A recruiter can make or break that first initial connection. It's either a good connection or not a good connection. And I think just I think you're right in telling the the students out there that are looking into travel, whether you're opt, speech, school, psychology, whatever it is, that conversation with your recruiter is going to let you know if that's the right company for you.

00:09:06:02 - 00:09:28:18 So yeah, I completely agree. So tell me, where did you study abroad? Internationally. So I was in Florence, Italy for like four months, so I did I played lacrosse in college so we could only go like our junior year. And then I, I took like a bunch of core classes. I went to like a small college. So you had to do, you know, like a cultural arts class.

00:09:28:20 - 00:09:48:14 I was a psych minor, so I did a psych class over there. I learned Italian, I don't really know any Italian anymore, but I did. I did a dance class, actually. Gosh. How fun. So it was like, you know, fun to be over there and, you know, not do your typical core classes that you would in college. But that is awesome.

00:09:48:14 - 00:10:04:01 I remember, like, my roommate kind of convinced me to go. I remember being like, I don't want to go. Like I'm going to have FOMO from college and like what people are doing here. And then I remember getting back from study abroad and I was like, I do not want to be here anymore. I want to be back.

00:10:04:02 - 00:10:23:16 Back in Italy. I mean, I wouldn't want to be in Italy. So we're all said that. You said you had had 11 contracts. So where all have you been with AMN? So I've been a little bit all over. So I started in South Carolina. I was in an acute care hospital. And then I did two contracts in South Carolina.

00:10:23:16 - 00:10:44:12 I went to Oregon, I went to Indiana, I went to and then I've been in Florida for a while, but I kind of went back and forth a little bit. But I've been in acute care. I've been in inpatient rehab, skilled nursing. I did one rotation that was like acute care, outpatient pediatrics and outpatient adult. So that was pretty cool.

00:10:44:12 - 00:11:07:15 It was like a really small hospital in Oregon, and they hadn't had a OT for like six months. So I pretty much just like built up a whole new caseload of pediatrics and adults. And that was kind of cool to, you know, I had no clue what I was doing, but ended up figuring it out. But yeah, I think, you know, travel’s so cool because you can go anywhere you want.

00:11:07:16 - 00:11:28:03 And I know people always ask like, can you travel internationally and do contracts there? And I'm sure you can. I think the process is a little bit more difficult. So what I like to do is take, you know, a three month contract somewhere and then take either a month or a couple of weeks off. And then I travel, go to Europe and then come back and do another contract.

00:11:28:05 - 00:11:48:16 Flexibility. You have the flexibility and you have the time to do what you want to do. And that work life balance and travel isn't for you. And you can do that with these shorter contracts because OTS, you're right, the OT contracts are a little different because SLPs for me anyway, I'm doing a school contract, so I'm there August to May, so it's a little bit longer contract.

00:11:48:16 - 00:12:07:02 But I do have that summer and I do travel during the summer. My daughter and I yeah, my daughter and I love Cabo. We go to Cabo every year. Oh, I stayed anywhere from, you know, a week to we stayed there a month. One time, one summer. Wow. So it was. Yeah. Let's talk about that mentorship piece because OTS don't do that.

00:12:07:02 - 00:12:32:17 Like what SLPs have to do that clinical fellowship year where we have to have that direct supervision. OTS don't do that, right. We do. So it's not necessarily like a fellowship. We have to do two clinical rotations. So it's like 13 weeks for one level two field work and then 13 weeks for your other one. And sometimes they make it like mine had to be in a hospital and a like psychology based rotation.

00:12:32:17 - 00:12:56:14 So mine was in school based because there wasn't, you know, a ton of psych hospitals. But if you think about it, there's psych and everything. Yeah. OT or really any specialty. Yeah. But yeah, we only had to do two. I think PT has to do three. I know there are some options. Some hospitals do run like a fellowship year or program like once you're graduated and once you are certified, but that would be on your own.

00:12:56:15 - 00:13:19:10 Yeah. Choice. That's awesome. How do you how do you maintain connections and friendships with people from back home, and also build your friend group when you're traveling on these contracts, what has that dynamic been like for you? Yeah, so honestly, it's been pretty cool because I've been some nice places where I've had friends and family that have wanted to visit.

00:13:19:10 - 00:13:48:18 So, you know, I've had some contracts where I've had, you know, a revolving door of people coming to visit. And then there have been some where I didn't have any people visit, but I had like time built off in between my contracts or during my contracts to go home for like, weddings or family vacations. And it's kind of cool because I think with me not living directly where I grew up, like it kind of was more of like, okay, I wanted to go home and I wanted to spend time with my family versus just, you know, constantly living there.

00:13:48:23 - 00:14:09:05 And I feel like it's given my family and friends, you know, the opportunity to travel more, to write, and for me to take time off in between and, you know, go visit them wherever they are. You know, all my friends kind of spread out after college. And so we're all over the place now, but it kind of allowed me to have more time off to schedule more things with them or go on trips.

00:14:09:05 - 00:14:30:06 I actually did one travel contract with my best friend from college, so that was really cool. Fine. Where do you guys go? We went to Indiana, which I was honestly not very keen on going there because it's in the middle of the country. Yeah, but we ended up working at like a brand new inpatient rehab and like in a small town outside of Indianapolis.

00:14:30:06 - 00:14:57:11 And like, we loved it, like it was so it was so cool and everybody was so great. We lived in a house together, so that was really fun. That's amazing. But then also, like, I've met so many people throughout my travel contracts to just like coworkers, I met one girl actually like through social media, and we had been both going out like towards the West coast, the same timeline, and she was like stopping at all the same places I was stopping at.

00:14:57:11 - 00:15:15:12 And I was like, where are you going? Like, are we doing the same road trip? And come to find out, she was doing a travel contract 30 minutes away from where I was. So she was at like the northern part of California, and I was in southern Oregon, and we ended up becoming best friends and like, doing everything together, those, those 13 weeks.

00:15:15:12 - 00:15:38:11 So that was really cool too. Wow, that's so fun. So yeah, it's just been so fun. Like, I've gotten to meet great landlords and like, get connections through that. When I traveled with my dog, I met a ton of people. Like, there's just it's so cool to look back on it and be like, if I would have never taken these travel contracts, like, I wouldn't have these new friendships, you know?

00:15:38:13 - 00:15:57:22 So it's just like you're just opened up to so much more when you, you travel to. Yeah, that is beautiful. And that was one of my biggest concerns because I'm a lot older than you are. Claudia, I had a daughter in college and it was just me. I was at home by myself and that's why I decided to take a travel contract and went up to Baltimore, Maryland.

00:15:57:22 - 00:16:12:16 And I chose it because I had never been up the East Coast, and I thought that would be a great place to be. And I was worried. And I've said this before, that all of my team members were going to be like my daughter's age, and I wasn't going to have anything in common with them, and I was going to be like the mom of the group.

00:16:12:16 - 00:16:33:02 And it was not like that at all. And I made friendships on that contract back in 2019, and I still talked to them all the time and awesome. I can't imagine my life now without them in it. Yeah, my friend Katherine, Lauren, Janine, Marci, all of them. We had the absolute best little team and we had the best time.

00:16:33:02 - 00:16:52:14 And it was in a place where I could explore New York City, in Washington, D.C., in Pennsylvania. I mean, Pennsylvania is beautiful, and people don't know that. A lot of people don't know that Pennsylvania is absolutely beautiful. Yeah, sometimes it's kind of just like a random state. And I mean, growing up there, I'm like, I want to get out, but it is a very pretty state.

00:16:52:14 - 00:17:12:08 And there's, you know, so much different different areas to visit too. Yeah. And just like you said, Indiana, you were like nine. Deanna, what is your zoo in Indiana? And then you get there and you absolutely love it. Yeah. Now you've got friendships there that that you'll have for the rest of your life. What's been your favorite place you've been if you had to rank it number one?

00:17:12:09 - 00:17:31:15 Like, this was my favorite. This is so hard. So I always say I think Oregon was my favorite. I knew you were going to say that. Like I had never. I was like, there's nothing in Oregon. Like, why would I ever go there? Like, I don't want to do that. Whatever. And I remember at the time I was applying for like three different travel contracts.

00:17:31:15 - 00:17:54:14 It was like Oregon, Arkansas, in Colorado, like three random places. And I ended up picking Oregon because it was like three different settings, and it was like right along the coast. So it was essentially by the beach kind of. And that's like where I love being. And then it ended up being like such a nice reset because it was in this really small town, like we were three hours from a target.

00:17:54:19 - 00:18:19:21 Wow. And like really removed from society. But it was like so many beautiful, like hiking paths and like right along the ocean and like so many cute towns, like the nicest people. It was so chill. And so I think that truly was one of my favorites. I think I grew a lot clinically in that experience to I was the only OT there and kind of had to figure out, you know, acute care and outpatient at the same time.

00:18:19:23 - 00:18:37:13 And it was just cool working in a smaller town like smaller hospitals. And for a while, like I really before I had eventually got into Florida, like I really wanted to go there for my first contract and there was really no openings. And I'm kind of just blessed that it worked out the way that it did, because I want some places that, you know, I probably wouldn't have gone otherwise.

00:18:37:15 - 00:18:58:17 And so, yeah, I think that's, you know, that was probably my favorite contract ever. Yeah. And you keep talking, you keep mentioning I had to figure things out. I was the only O2 ot there. This was something new. And I think that's so important because you're growing clinically and you're growing your skill set everywhere you go because you're doing something different every time you go somewhere on the contracts.

00:18:58:17 - 00:19:20:04 And that's amazing. And that's what SLPs can do to, you know, you don't always have to go to a school. You can go to an outpatient, you can go to, you can do anything. And that's the beauty of our profession, just in the related fields anyway, I think. Yeah. And I think there's a big, you know, misconception that you can only do settings that you had field works in or that you have like, you know, experience in.

00:19:20:04 - 00:19:37:01 But that's definitely not the case all the time. You know, I didn't have any experience in acute care. Granted, I started in a smaller hospital, but sometimes you know those places where you don't expect to be or you're like, that's the middle of nowhere. It's going to be terrible. Like those end up being some of the greatest contracts.

00:19:37:02 - 00:19:54:02 Yeah. And, you know, I at first was like, I'm never going to these small towns like I don't want to do that. And they ended up being, you know, my favorite. So sometimes you got to listen to your recruiters and what they, they recommend too, because they've seen travelers there. And they, they know the connections as well. Yeah.

00:19:54:04 - 00:20:22:21 That's great. Let's talk about your connection with Jill Panto, who is the director of the university's program and the AMN alumni program. How did you get involved with working with her and doing that, and why did you get involved with that? Yeah, so for a while, I can't remember when it was, but I had I think my college actually had asked me to like present on travel therapy as it was becoming more of like a bigger thing.

00:20:22:23 - 00:20:41:18 And people were kind of finding out about it through social media. And then I had heard through Kyla, I think that AMN was kind of running a thing where, you know, presenting to different students at different universities and honestly, how important that is, because, you know, a lot of students go into school, they don't know that that is a career path.

00:20:41:18 - 00:21:01:19 It's not, you know, heavily talked about. And so it is nice when you have somebody who's in the profession that can come in and say, like, hey, this is also an option to you don't have to take, you know, just the traditional path. And so I had been in contact with her through that. And then this past aorta when we all went out to California, got to meet her in person.

00:21:01:19 - 00:21:19:11 So that was really fun to kind of put a name to a face and you know who is behind it all. And, you know, I think it's just kind of like a nice way to give back, because when I first got started, like, I wish I would have had that or I wish I would have had somebody that I could ask questions to.

00:21:19:11 - 00:21:46:09 And it's really cool to like, kind of go back in time and be like, I used to be in their shoes once and, you know, making sure I think the biggest thing is like, I don't want people to feel like scared going into travel therapy. So it's like, if I can help, you know, educate or even just share my experience, you know, maybe it'll make somebody decision go, you know, one way or the other or, you know, help ease some anxiety in it, too.

00:21:46:11 - 00:21:58:03 Yeah. Joe and I just did. And I just got to meet Joe for the first time in Washington, DC last year at Asha, and she's been my recruiter for like five years. And it was really time I'd met her. Yeah, I've talked to her. I wouldn't have known her if she had walked up to me on the grocery store.

00:21:58:03 - 00:22:17:20 I wouldn't have known who. So I finally got to meet her, and she and I've done a couple of presentations with her. But most recently, this summer I graduated from Ole Miss and live in Oxford. And so we did a presentation for Ole Miss and it was so much fun. I was able to go in person. She was there on the screen and it was so great and it was amazing.

00:22:17:21 - 00:22:40:11 The questions, like you said, if you can educate someone and just tell them what your experience is, and then we've had Claudia Berger on she's a new SLP. She did her clinical fellowship year as on a travel contract. And that's so cool. Yeah. And that's the number one question we always get is the SLPs don't know that during that clinical fellowship year you can be on a travel contract.

00:22:40:11 - 00:22:59:07 You don't. I did not know that either. Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. So it's just and there are lots of changes coming with Asha. We won't get into that. But I mean, it's it's a great way to share your experience. And also, just like you said, educate and let these new grads know that this is an option. This is an opportunity.

00:22:59:08 - 00:23:20:08 And I've said it before, but this younger generation, your generation is so adventurous and they're so willing to do something outside of the norm and they're not afraid to take those chances. And I absolutely love that. And so it's been super fun connecting with the university and answering the questions. And I actually ran into a couple of girls on the square not long ago that were there.

00:23:20:08 - 00:23:52:11 And they were. That's awesome. Didn't you come and talk? And I was like, I did, and it was just it was really neat connecting and having that relationship. But why do you think it's important for professionals in our career, whether you're OTP, speech, whatever, to be involved in your school's alumni program and, and really push through this university's program to get this idea of travel therapy out there to young professionals, I honestly, I think it's really important because, you know, if we're not the ones to kind of promote it and get the word out there, then who is?

00:23:52:11 - 00:24:12:02 Or, you know, there's also just like so many myths flying around of like the horrors of travel therapy or, you know, there's no mentorship or there's no this and, you know, no travel therapy experience is going to be the same for every single person. You know, you might get on a contract and it might end early, or you might get on a contract.

00:24:12:02 - 00:24:31:19 They ask you to switch facilities or, you know, you might get there and there's a change in something. But I honestly feel like those challenges also help you grow. I feel like I've become a lot more flexible as a clinician. You know, when things kind of go wrong, you're like, you know what? We'll just figure it out. We'll rework the schedule, stuff like that.

00:24:31:20 - 00:24:57:19 Yeah. And I think to, you know, sometimes professors may have an opinion on travel one way or the or another, but if, if we're not the ones to educate, you know, students don't really know the difference. You know, you're just going to be given whatever you're taught in school. And so I feel like it's just kind of educating everybody as a whole and kind of, you know, letting universities no to that.

00:24:57:20 - 00:25:18:21 It's not like you're just going to be thrown right in because in the past, maybe that was the case and maybe that was the stigma around travel therapy. But now there's companies that have new grad mentorship programs. You know, they have recruiters that are experienced and can help guide, you know, new grads in the right direction and the clinical team there and the clinical team.

00:25:19:01 - 00:25:34:19 Yeah. And you have, you know, a whole army of people behind you versus if you just are kind of doing it on your own. And I think to a lot of students, you know, go out of school thinking they have to know what setting they want to work in and have to know where they want to live and all these different things.

00:25:34:19 - 00:25:55:17 And I remember being so stressed out about that leaving school because a lot of people in my cohort were like, oh, I know I want to work with kids, I don't want to work with adults at all. And I was like, I think I could do either. Like, I don't really know. And so travel kind of gave, you know, that nice way of, of trying things out without making it a permanent decision and being like, oh, shoot, I don't want to live here anymore.

00:25:55:18 - 00:26:13:10 You know, I'll just go live somewhere else for a little bit. Right? And so it's just kind of it's almost like a risk free way of trying, you know, different things. And I think, you know, as a new grad and usually people are a lot, you know, younger when they get out of school too. You're not supposed to have it all figured out.

00:26:13:16 - 00:26:47:03 So travel kind of gives you that way to to see what you like and don't like. Right. And it's the same for SLPs. I love that. And you're right, I think education. But I think you're the younger generation. Like you said, you met that girl on social media. I think that the new grads in our fields are aware that travel therapy is a thing, but you are 100% right, and that the professors and the clinical instructors and the directors of the program, that they're not always as educated about what's out there because we're a little bit older, Claudia.

00:26:47:03 - 00:27:05:12 And these things were not there when we were, you know, coming out of our graduate programs. And so it's new. And you're right, I think there is a lot of stigma around travel contracts and throwing you to the wolves. Right. And that it's not you know, these companies are just, you know, you're just a number and they're just sending you wherever.

00:27:05:12 - 00:27:25:21 And that's not the case. It is a very structured you get to choose where you go. You get to choose the length of your contracts. You get to choose. You're in the driver's seat. And I think that and because there were some clinical instructors that were in our presentation at Ole Miss, and when it was over, we were just standing around chatting and they were like, we had no idea that you could do this.

00:27:25:21 - 00:27:37:11 And then the, you know, I work virtually in the telehealth piece. They had no idea that that was an option. So it's so fun to just tell the world about

00:27:37:12 - 00:27:38:19 what we do

00:27:38:21 - 00:27:51:19 and, and about AMN and what a great program that we have with the universities program, connecting all these young grads to clinical instructors, to mentors, to recruiters, to people like you and I who've been there and done that.

00:27:51:19 - 00:28:08:06 And Claudia Berger, you know, she was like the number one person at our booth at Ashley last year because she had just come out, that's awesome fellowship year. And everyone just flocked to her because they were like, tell me what it was like. Yeah, tell me what was your experience? And she was able to answer all of their questions and, and put them in ease.

00:28:08:06 - 00:28:25:05 And I think that a lot of people left with that light bulb in their head going. Maybe this is something. Yeah, yeah, maybe this is, you know, she did it. And you know, she's okay. And she's moving. She did. She was in Vermont. And then I think now she's over on the West Coast in Oregon or Washington State.

00:28:25:05 - 00:28:40:16 So she went from and she's from Florida. So she's been like one side of the country to the all over. Yeah. So I love it. So I think that I was going to ask you your favorite part of traveling. What has been your favorite part? And I think it probably just based on what you've said has just been the flexibility.

00:28:40:16 - 00:29:05:21 And I think being able to explore, yeah, the flexibility, getting to try new places, I think, you know, meeting the people that I've met and having, you know, all those different connections and, and honestly kind of figuring out like what I love and don't love in certain settings or, you know, certain facilities. I think a big thing that I kind of realize, too, is like, your coworkers make a huge difference.

00:29:05:22 - 00:29:31:16 Like if you have good coworkers, like, I feel like I could work in any setting and be fine, but if you have people that are not great, then you're not. Yeah, they're not team players. It's going to make it. Yeah. It's hard. Yeah. But just even like the patients I've met like literally in Oregon and they have some tie to the East coast or you know, I've met so many people that are like from where I live down in Florida and I'm like, this is so random.

00:29:31:16 - 00:29:52:22 Like, I wouldn't have met these people living in Pennsylvania, but I met them down here, just like so many cool connections. Yeah. And honestly, kind of cool to see how things are different on like the West Coast versus the East Coast. You know, how healthcare is, you know, different in different towns. Yeah. Just like little things like that that you wouldn't know otherwise if you just stayed in one place.

00:29:52:23 - 00:30:10:11 Yeah. I didn't even think about the connections with your patients and your clients that you're serving. That's amazing. I got connected with an SLP last week. Paige connected me with. Her name is Heidi. She lives out in California, and she and I have been chatting. And we were on the phone and she said, where do you live? And I said, I live in Mississippi.

00:30:10:11 - 00:30:32:22 And she said, oh, what part? And I said, Oxford. And she said, oh my gosh, that is the only town in the South that I have ever visited. Really? Yeah. So random. And I was like, that is that is so random. But you're right. The connections and just these random things. And she lives in California, and she had a friend that came out that had gone to Ole Miss, and he brought her back over for a game.

00:30:32:22 - 00:30:49:19 And I was like, oh my gosh, you've been to The Grove. Like, that's an experience. So yeah, I dressed up. I wore a really nice dress in high heels. Like it was so fun. So yeah, you're right. It's just so random. And I think that's what I love. I mean, I've made one of my first contracts out in California that I was working virtually.

00:30:49:20 - 00:31:11:14 My peer facilitator, she and I became best friends, and I flew out to California for her baby shower and stayed with her and my cousin. Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. That's so fun. It's just it's a great way to meet people. And like I said, my team in Maryland, I couldn't imagine my life without them. Yeah, it's it's so cool the connections you meet and you don't even, you know, there's so many, like, endless possibilities.

00:31:11:15 - 00:31:32:02 Like, I always go into a travel contract and I'm like, it can't get any better than this. And then there's like something and I'm like, oh my gosh. Like, I almost never came here. You know? It's like, it's so cool, I love it. All right. Claudia, I always ask our guests to give one piece of advice. Mostly SLPs are going to be listening to this, but we're just talking about travel in general.

00:31:32:02 - 00:31:56:14 So what piece of advice would you give them to take away today on how to get started, and why they should take that leap of faith and do a travel contract? I think I kind of tell this to everybody, like, what's the worst that can happen? Like, if you take a travel contract. Like you literally could sign a travel contract and then it's three months, I'm like, anybody can do anything for three months.

00:31:56:14 - 00:32:13:11 And if it's truly that bad, like, you can find a way out of it and you can always go back home. You know, I kind of told myself that, you know, I need to at least try it, because if I didn't try travel therapy, you know what's on the other side? Like, what was I going to maybe regret doing?

00:32:13:12 - 00:32:32:11 You know, like, now I did it. I don't have any regrets. And, you know, if I ended up not liking it, you know, you can always go somewhere and and get a permanent job. You know, that's always an option. There's tons of jobs everywhere that we can work at. And just like, I don't know, I think there's there's so many things in life that you can't control.

00:32:32:11 - 00:32:48:09 And like, this is one thing where you can kind of take the choice and be like, okay, I've always wanted to go to California or have always wanted to go to Washington. And like, you can pick that. It's not like they're sending you, you know, to some random state that you don't want to go to. Like you have the choice to do it right.

00:32:48:10 - 00:33:10:08 You have the choice to pick your setting and and then like you can pick as, as long as you want off after. Yeah. So I always kind of tell people, you know, even if, even if you work a year for a little bit and then do travel, you know, just try one travel contract, just try one thing that's, you know, making you uncomfortable and just see what happens, you know, like what's what's the harm in that.

00:33:10:09 - 00:33:29:21 Yeah. I love that my daughter and I have this saying and it's why not? So when we love that presented opportunities to do something. And this podcast is a great example, I am not I consider myself an introvert. And when they first seem like an actual well, when they first approached me, I literally laughed out loud at the email.

00:33:29:21 - 00:33:48:02 I was like, I'm never going to do that. And I actually told my daughter, who's, you know, probably your age, she's 26, and she was like, mom, if I had gotten that email for asking me to do this, you would make me do it. You would say, you have got to step outside of your comfort zone. And I was like, okay, you're right.

00:33:48:02 - 00:34:04:17 And I do really just reversed it on you. She reversed the role, and I can't imagine not having this podcast and all of the amazing people that I've met doing this. It's just been incredible and I love it. It's a people lizard listening and getting the wisdom from it. Yeah. And then we get to meet them at Asha.

00:34:04:18 - 00:34:23:12 So many of our guests we've met at ash. I know you won't be at Asha. That's so funny, but yeah, you were just at a meet and greet with Paige, weren't you? Didn't you do a meeting down in Florida? Yeah, we did one in Jacksonville, which actually was funny because I didn't know she lived here until aorta. And then I don't know if I had followed her on Instagram or something.

00:34:23:12 - 00:34:39:02 And I was like, oh, she had posted, I did follow her. And then she posted something about her wedding in Jacksonville. And I was like, wait, do you live here? Like, it's just like the small connections. Yeah, yeah. She was at 80, which was cool. So I got to meet her there. And then we did a and then we did a meet up here.

00:34:39:02 - 00:35:00:06 So she's my recruiter and I just I can't there are no words. There are no words in the English language for me to describe how amazing she is. I absolutely love her. And she and I have been in the trenches the last few weeks, and she'll know what I'm talking about. So it's. Yeah, I love that. So Claudia, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your experience as a travel OTT.

00:35:00:07 - 00:35:19:18 We might have to bring you back and pick your brain about all of the different settings you've done and talk about OTS and working with your specie friends and how tight we can be. But thank you so much for joining us. Where are you on contract now? I am in a Lake City, Florida, so I'm actually driving from Jacksonville.

00:35:19:20 - 00:35:36:17 Okay, but I'm done September 4th I think. Then I'm going to Europe actually. So. Oh my goodness my little routine. Oh my goodness. I think I have followed you on social media. So I'm going to have to be watching your Instagram for all your pictures. Yeah a wonderful trip to the safe trip. And thank you for joining us.

00:35:36:17 - 00:35:42:00 So yes, thank you so much for having me on. Thank you guys for joining us. And we hope you all have a great day.